rest in peace

Sir Roger Moore, Former James Bond, Dies at 89

Sir Roger Moore, the iconic British actor who played James Bond in several films in the 1970s and 80s, has died. He was 89 years old.

His children, Deborah, Geoffrey, and Christian revealed the news on social media, releasing a statement that said Moore died in Switzerland, surrounded by family, after a “short but brave battle with cancer.”

“The affection our father felt whenever he walked on to a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall,” the statement reads in part. “The capacity crowd cheered him and off stage, shaking the very foundations of the building just a short distance from where he was born. Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people.”

Moore got his start as an actor in the late 1950s, and went on to international fame as James Bond in the popular spy franchise. He starred in seven 007 films, taking the reins from Sean Connery in 1973’s Live and Let Die and going on to make films including The Spy Who Loved Me and the pricey Moonraker. Moore, whose iteration of Bond is revered for his suave charisma, was the longest-serving actor in series history, exiting the franchise when he was 57 years old.

The actor reveled in his reputation as Bond, always speaking warmly of the experience in interviews. Though landing the role is now the mark of ultimate success, Moore initially viewed it as a “gamble,” he told Vanity Fair in 2012. He had already had success in television—on shows like The Saint and The Persuaders—and warned by TV giants like Lew Grade that becoming Bond would “ruin” his career.

After turning in his Bond credentials, Moore remained a keen cheerleader of the legendary spy franchise, lending his support to current Bond Daniel Craig and penning the book Bond on Bond: The Ultimate Book on 50 Years of Bond Movies.

His post-Bond career was marked by a five-year Hollywood hiatus, then sporadic appearances in a handful of films, such as The Quest and Spice World. He also turned his attention toward humanitarian work, working with UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador for more than 20 years. The former Bond traveled around the world spreading awareness for causes including the spread of HIV and AIDS, and disability rights.

“It’s easy to raise money for an emotive issue when it’s happening and is on the front pages of the newspapers, but it gradually fades away towards the back pages,” he said in a 2015 interview. “So it’s up to us—spokespersons for Unicef—to when it’s a silent one make sure that people know what we’re doing.”

Moore was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his humanitarian work in 2003. After the ceremony, the actor recalled his conversation with the monarch, noting that she “supposed that people will always call me 007. I said that I didn’t mind because I was paid money for it!”

Later in his life, Moore was rather sanguine about aging and approaching his final days. In a 2014 radio interview, he said that he once read a line in a script that beautifully summed up his feelings about death, that it’s like “going into the next room.”

“The rest of us can’t get into because we don’t have the key. But when we do get the key, we’ll go in there and we’ll see one another again, in some shape or form, or whatever. It’s not the end . . . that is my comforting thought for myself.”